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About 100 former MDC-T members defected in Marondera Central on Saturday, while 50 defected to the revolutionary party in Epworth yesterday and another 50 joined Zanu-PF in Hatcliffe.
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In Marondera Central, Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Cde Ray Kaukonde will square off against former legislator for the constituency Mr Ian Kay (MDC-T), Mr Kudzanai Mandaza of MDC and former MDC-T councillor Mr Carlos Mudzongo, who is standing as an independent candidate.
Commenting on the defections, one of Cde Kaukonde’s campaign managers Cde Ralph Chimanikire said the revolutionary party welcomed them back home.
“Obviously, all these people who are in MDC-T were once in Zanu-PF, so we welcome them back home,” he said. “As a party, we want their votes, so we welcome them. They have come back home because they saw the good things that President Mugabe, Cde Kaukonde and the party in general are doing for the country. So far, some officials and ordinary MDC-T members are the ones who came back, but we are still expecting more.”
Cde Kaukonde has embarked on several empowerment projects in Marondera Central that saw over 120 youths from the town’s 12 wards being employed.
Cde Kaukonde’s wife, Cde Patricia Kaukonde yesterday donated 30 000kgs of mealie-meal to the elderly, orphans and the disabled and 6 000 chicks for their projects.
She also donated food hampers to patients at Marondera and Borradaile Hospitals in Marondera Central.
In Epworth, Zanu-PF provincial chairperson for Harare, Ambassador Amos Midzi, who is the candidate for the constituency, welcomed back the 50 supporters from MDC-T, saying it was gratifying that they realised the revolutionary party has people at heart. “If you look at our manifestos, ours clearly has people at heart with empowerment at the forefront of our campaign. They realised that they had been duped by MDC and only Zanu-PF has the national agenda at heart,” he said.
“If you look at my actions, I paid the school fees for all primary school children in 2007, improved the road network and support the biggest clinic in the area with sanitary material.”
In Harare North, Zanu-PF candidate Cde Tongesai Mudambo said the reason why people defected to Zanu-PF was because it served the people.
“Look at the whole Hatcliffe area, Theresa Makone (former legislator and MDC-T candidate) was heading this area for five years and there is not a single development project to her name,” he said.
Some of the MDC-T leaders who defected in Epworth included the party’s ward secretary Victor Rundare, ward secretary and chair Caston Elison, ward organising secretary Penford Gudoricharima and district youth secretary Joseph Kanyeze.
They all cited corruption, lack of vision, lack of democracy and poor organisation in the MDC-T as the reason for their move. The MDC-T has been hit by massive defections throughout the country with its members joining Zanu-PF, while others opted for the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC formation.
Online Reporter